Clearlake, Lakeport police departments get $64,000 to enhance public safety

LAKE COUNTY -- The Clearlake and Lakeport police departments received funding from the state last month to enhance public safety in the two cities in the wake of criminal justice realignment.

The agencies received a combined $64,000 for the current fiscal year to offset operating costs for felony enforcement and other crime-reduction activities in each city, Lakeport Police Lt. Jason Ferguson and Clearlake Police Lt. Tim Celli wrote in a joint statement Thursday.

"The cities will be combining resources to conduct enforcement operations," the lieutenants stated. "In collaboration with the Lake County Probation Department, both cities plan to focus on serious, violent crimes and habitually non-compliant offenders in our jurisdictions."

The state, through the Board of State and Community Corrections, allocated more than $24 million for police agencies across California to build partnerships to address the affects of criminal justice realignment in their communities, Celli and Ferguson stated. Additional allocations are expected through 2014-15.